Republic of Karabakia
The Republic of Karabakia (officially the Republic of South Karabakia, often abbreviated to RK) is a large, democratic federation based in Karabakia. The RK emphasizes and claims to support values, such as democracy, personal liberty, and capitalism. It also strives to improve and develop infrastructure, and a basic common peace between the people of the divided nation. Though appearing to be a benevolent entity of governance, the ability to control the land it claims to protect, the hostility of extremist groups, and the widespread criminality has been questioned by many, without a clear response by the RK themselves. Background The Republic of Karabakia was born when South Karabakia split in half. Under the leadership of Ardem Saroyan, the nation prospered. It instantly became appealing to entrepreneurs, and the 5% yearly company tax was enough to keep the country debt free. By post-war European standards, the RK is a paragon of economic success and good ethical character: political enfranchisement, physical security, and a standard of living better than mere subsistence are daily realities for its population of citizens. Currently, the RK is in a state of transition, with rapid economic growth and a change in political leadership endangering its relationship with PRK. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Greater Caucasus, where the two nations are bordering. Society The majority of the RK populace is made up of the white middle class, farmers and business owners seeking to increase their wealth. The RK enforces very few rules upon their citizens, the so-called golden rule stating: You are free to do anything you wish as long as it does not physically harm anyone or their possessions. Crimes are categorized in three levels; One, Two, and Three. One being thieving, and scamming while three is reserved for killers. If a citizen kills more than four people, he/she is punished by death. Openly carrying arms, prostitution, gambling, and slavery are not illegal. Persons found under the influence of alcohol or drugs will only be detained if they are deemed a danger to others. A notable trait of the Republic of Karabakia, often to the annoyance of its citizens, is the government's tendency to overlook the formation of factions within the nation such as the National Socialist Independence Movement (N-SIM) and The Red Pirates. This type of governing has lead to an enforcement of unofficial rules some of the towns in Karabakia, showing its inability to govern its own people. Structure The RK is a democratic federation. The government is divided into five departments: Education, Energy, Justice, Technology, and Transportation. In theory, this is a sound and well-balanced system, but in practice, there are many privately controlled sectors that would be better off controlled by the government, such as water; a basic human necessity which is now monopolized by Aqua Express and Mingachevir Water. The president is the biggest factor in deciding the course the nation should take. For example, under Ardem (who served over eight terms as President), the RK grew substantially, focusing its efforts on building the economy and starting technological development. There is little to no sexism in the RK (unlike many other nations), most likely due to the belief in individual freedom despite gender. The nation has also shown little discrimination against people of color, the N-SIM being an exception. Some of their government officials are colored, however, and they accept colored into their police force. There is a clear separation of church and state within the RK. Both Ardem and Davros found that politics and religion don't mix. As long as there is no interaction between church and government, the RK (past and present) allows any religious groups within their borders. Accordingly, the RK is very tolerant of religion as long as its various assemblies do not participate in human sacrifice as it breaks the golden rule. States and known cities * Baku * Jerevan * Kutaisi * Solaris * Freewood Military The RK's military is composed of two Divisions being the Public Police (PP), and Military Police (MP).Their major cities are protected and patrolled by the heavily armed military police officers, while smaller towns only have the Public Police. The Military Police consists of a select group that is pledged to protect the people of the Karabakia. The MP are said to have numerous safe houses throughout the nation, and they use these to strike at N-SIM and The Red Pirates. As expected, the three groups hate each other with a passion. The RK is also in the habit of establishing marshals in the major towns, responsible for enforcing laws throughout the nation. Whites, blacks, and women are all known to serve in the Military Police. The Military Police is mostly composed of their regular officers who are characterized by their classy black uniforms with silver braid around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in green, epaulettes in silver, and armed with the standard P210 in addition to their MP44, MP 40, G3, or M14, depending on their roles of Commander, Medic, Support, or Sniper respectively. A Public Police officer is only issued a 1911 that goes nicely with their beautiful uniform in purplish blue and scarlet. Relations with the outside Foreigners have mixed feelings about the RK. Some people strongly support the nation's goals of complete freedom, and others argue that their methods of "controlling" everything does not work in practice. As RK's power and territory grew, it made progressively stronger enemies who would test the resolve of the nation. The RK initially had great success in the world of trade, setting up several embassies in other capitalist countries and even one in PRK. Known wars and military conflicts which the RK was involved: * RK-NSIM War * RK-Red Pirates War * RK-PRK Conflict Technology The RK has access to stockpiles of modern technology. Their Department of Technology is one of the most advanced in the world, inventing new things as well as improving on existing technology. They also maintain transportation, such as the capital monorail, and an extensive railroad network connecting cities throughout the country. Currency The RK created its own currency called Karabucks (Ꝃ) in the form of silver coins with a gold core, and paper bills. The conversion rate is 10 Karabucks to one US Dollar. The common denotations of Karabucks are the 20Ꝃ, 200Ꝃ, and 500Ꝃ bills. All bills feature a picture of Ardem and different landmarks.